A New Adventure

 Today's song is: It's a Good Life ... Tragically Hip

Tomorrow is a big day as we move from the country back to the burbs. Matter of fact, about 1 kilometer from the last house I owned before the big adventure that lead to where I am now, in my life.

The new neighbourhood is Barrhaven which my older children used to refer to as Farhaven as there was not much there. Nowadays, it is a city onto itself. I will now be able to walk to everything except for Costco which be a 5 minute drive. Matter of fact we are between 2 Costcos, each equidistant from our new home.

Our new home is what is referred to as a stacked luxury townhouse. We are the middle unit, so we just walk in up a few steps from the street. It is about 1200 square feet which was the size of my starter home. It is all one level, 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms. Thavorn will get a walkin closet!

Jaidan will be attending a new school, which isCatholic, which will hopefully supply some answers as he has been asking some questions about God, etc.  Jaidan is not baptized and I suspoect he will explore Christianity and Buddhism before making a choice, which is probably the way it should be done, rather than chosen for him.

Thavorn seems to be looking forward to the move and getting our own space rather than sharing. I really can't blame her. It will, however, mean a longer commute for her to work.

I finally get some decent internet speed :-) and a reliable cell connection.

We get the keys tomorrow at 9 am and I will follow up with some pics once we get moved in.

TTYL

Big Change

 Today's song is: Change by Taylor

The first time we came to Canada on Thavorn's PR we stayed in a AirBnB for 6 months. We lived downtown and we could walk to everything and did not need a car. We quite enjoyed it!

At the end of that stay my son Jordan and his GF suggested we look for a house together to share. I thought, good all around, as I could help them with a mortgage. We found a beautiful house on 2 acres out in the country with 6 bedrooms, 4 car garage, etc.

When we arrived back in Canada we moved in on March 2nd, 2020, just over 2 years ago. Apart from continual construction, things went pretty well and I invested in a treadmill and a new motorcycle, as well as a car.

However, covid struck and we had online schooling for the first year and a heavy dose of cabin fever, but things were okay, not ideal, but what the heck, we were helping my son out.

However, covid was not kind to their relationship and they are splitting and we move out on May 1st. Back to my original plan, we are renting a luxury 2 bedroom, 2 bath, stacked townhouse in Barrhaven. Hooray, we can now walk to most things and drive to everywhere else in 5 mins or less. Jaidan will probably change schools in September but that is still to be decided.

Change has never really bothered me and it is through change that we grow. I had to sell my motorcycle as we will not have a garage. I am still undecided on selling the treadmill, but it may not be needed as we will be walking a lot more.

There will certainly be a lot more kids on the street for Jaidan to disvover new friends.

Thankfully, I am a minimalist and the move will be easy! My son moves out the same day so this time around we will share a truck. :-)

Pics, after we move in ... TTYL

Winter Almost Done

 Today's song is: The Top 10 from the Tragically Hip

On another note, Thavorn has beautiful Thai hair that I just trimmed. Jaidan has inherited Thavorn's hair which is a good thing.

We visited my sister on the Quebec side and I believe the winter is almost over.

Tomorrow, it is supposed to be 14 degrees. I am planning to wash the car and start my motorcycle up for a quick run to celebrate spring. The first official day of spring is March 20th. It has been a long winter!

Jaidan is at a camp during March break, this week. Apparently he has learned to skate, which just make him, a legit Canadian. Learning to skate is a nrite of passage for Candian children. 

TTYL

Today - Once in a Lifetime

 Today's song is: Bat Out of Hell ... Meatloaf ... RIP

My buddy Shaunny in Samut Prakan has informed me today is one of those special days that occur once in your lifetime. Today is Tuesday, February, the 22 of 2022. What makes it special is it is the second day of the week, the second month of the year, the twenty-second day of the month , in the twenty-second year of the second millenium. Don't let it pass by without doing something special like:

• do 2 acts of kindness
• do 22 pushups, situps, plank for 22 seconds, etc.
• give 2 compliments
• talk to 2 people you don't normally talk to

Whatever, just go for it.

Today, they cancelled the school buses as their is a threat of freezing rain. Sign of the times, wimps!

The truck convoy is cleared out of downtown Ottawa and the politicans are claiming success. Depriving people of their freedom is not a win for anyone. I was not for the convoy and they could have proved their point by voluntarily pulling out after week one. However, they did expose the ineptitude of our politicians at all level.

I am looking forward to Spring and getting back on my motorcycle. Now that is a freedom convoy I could endorse. Bikers Againt Boredom ... Piss Off Covid. I love the New Hampshire licence plates ... 'Live Free or Die'.

TTYL

No One is Interested in Something You Didn't Do.

 Todays song is: Wheat Kings ... Tragically Hip

A young Bieber :-)

I listen to the Tragically Hip every morning when I do my stretching workout. Their music actually has some pretty good lyrics and the lyrics get me thinking. One of my mottos is, 'I don't regret anything I have done, only the things I have not done. What is in the past you have to let go to move on, but you have choices in the future. Go for it :-)

It appears that covid19 is winding down in the world and Ontario is starting to open up, so I look forward to going to Chapters, and University basketball games, as well as a visit to the Prescott among other things.

Thavorn says the snow covered fields reming her of the ocean, albeit, a bit cooler. She has now amassed $22K in her bank account which makes her very happy. She should reach her goal of $50K this time in 2023. Pretty impressive :-)

TTYL

Lighten Up

 Today's song is: Take a Load off Fanny .. The Band from Easy Rider - Peter Fonda RIP

Most things are just not that important to get your knickers in a knot. Some words of Wisdom:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr

It was the Summer of 69 and I was 19 and life was good. Life was also alot simpler. No cell phones or social media and Walter Cronkite delivered the Late Night News and Johnny Carson delivered the Tonight Show. American draft dodgers were arriving in Canada as American entered into its 2nd year of the Vietnam war. It was the year of Woodstock and The Band played there and hippies embraced free love. It was a time of awakening.

Contrast that with today and woke and cancel cultures, tick tock, and narcissist social media like facebook and instagram. Instead of A&W we have DoorDash. Instead of real facetime we have facetime and Zoom. Instead of real dates we have online dating. The Metaverse is coming soon, maybe that will be the end of Covid19, but just like iPhones, we may have a covid22.

I Don't Want a Pickle, I Just to Ride my Motorcycle.

TTYL

Go Big or Go Small

 Today's song is:

This weekend was the day the trucker's convoy arrived in Ottawa. Basically demonstrating their dislike for Trudope and the Liberal's policies.

The pandemic seem to be disappating so we are hoping to get out and do things and visit people. The rinks open this week so I thought we would try skating. Of course Thavorn and Jaidan have never skated so they could be in for some bruises. We are also thinking of visiting my sister Elaine who has a nice size sledding hill a walk from where she lives.

Meanwhile back in the house I finally completed the Red Racing Truck behemoth. It come out of China (similar to covid) and is produced by a company called MouldKing. It competes in quality and design with Lego Technics but is quite a bit cheaper, maybe 50%. Their designs are actually much better and they often license the design of MOC (My Own Creation) builders. The red racing truck has about 2,700 pieces and kept me busy for quite a while. It features 4 motors, 2 of which are very fast buggy motors.

The price of Lego technics and the clones has gone up by 50% in the last 6 months. I think it is more supply and demand rather than shortages. The real Lego stuff has become collectors items where people buy them, never open the box and sell them at 100% profit when they are discontinued in 2-3 years. Not unlike housing in Canada that is being snapped up by investors, who flip them and never live in them. That's the world we live in!

Some picks of 2 of my favorite cars and the Red Racing truck.

Racing Truck is 20 inches long, 10 wide by 10 high.

Sacle, pool table is 8 feet long.

Working engine is 8 cylinders.

A MOC I created. 4 motors, very fast and cool suspension